Spike.



.v PATENTED MAY 30, 1905.

0. SHAFFER.

SPIKE.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1905.

witness 5. Q

aptozwugi UNITED STATES Patented May 30, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,373, dated May 30,1905.

Application filed February 7, 1905. Serial N- 244,565

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clearfield, in the county of Clearfield, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new .and useful Improvements inSpikes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable ot ers skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spikes in general, and more particularly tothe class of railwayspikes suc as are em loyed forholding railway-railsto the ties, t e object of the invention being to provide a spike havinglockingbarbs which are adjustable into and out of position to engage inthe tie' and prevent withdrawal of the spike.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement aswill permit of withdrawal of the barb into the body of the spike when itis desired to remove the spike.

In the drawings forming a ortion of this specification, an in which lire numerals of reference indicate similar arts in the several views,Figure l'is a side e evation showing a spike embodying the presentinvention. Fig.

"2 is a section taken longitudinally through the s ike with the barbsprojected, parts being s own in elevation. Fig. 3 is anelevation of oneof the barbs. view of the nut.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a spike includin a body 5,having at its upper end the usualliead 6, the lower end of the bodybeing pointed, as shown as 7, so that it may be driven into the tie. Inthe lower ortion of the bod 5 is a chamber 8, from t e u per end of w'ch there lead passages 9 an 10 upwardly through the sides of the body5, and midway between these passages is a central passage 11, thatextends Fig. 4 is a top plan from the chamber 8 upwardly and through thehead of the spike. In the assage 11 is disposed a screw which rotatesoosely in the passage and the lower threaded portion of which enters thechamber 8. The screw is illustrated at 12 and com rises a head 13, whichenters the counters nk 14 at the u per end of the passage 11. The headof t e the nut is moved vertically in the chamber.

At op osite sides of the nut 15 are notches 16, whic receive the reducednecks 17 at the lower ends of barbs or fingers 18, which are taperedupwardly. The barbs or fingers are of such dimensions that they may lieentirely within the body of the spike, with their upper or pointed endsagainst the u perwalls of the corresponding passages 9 an 10. When thenut 15 is moved upwardly, the barbs or fingers are raised, so that theirupper ends project from the body of the spike and by engagement in thetie serve to prevent withdrawal of the spike. When it is desired towithdraw the spike, the nut is fed downwardly by correspondinglyrotating the screw, as will be understood. The heads at the lower endsof the barbs, which result from reducing the barbs in the formation ofthe necks 17, revent upward disen agement of the barbs rom the nut,while t e bodies of the barbs themselves prevent downward disengagement.

What is claimed is A spike comprising a body and a head, said bodyhaving a chamber in its lower portion, a central longitudinal passageleading from the chamber through the head of the s ike and side passagesleading from the chamber and upwardly and outwardly through the sides ofthe spike, barbs disposed with their'lower portions in the chamber andhaving their upper ends sharpened and disposed in the side passages, anut in the chamber with which the barbs are connected, and a feed-screwpassed through the central passage into the chamber and engaged with thenut.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE SHAFFER.

Witnesses:

H. S. SHAFFER,

WM. J. OARLsoN.

